In this paper, we outline how U.S. cities currently manage off-street parking
structures under their control. We argue that this management largely ignores the logic of both economics
and public benefits. We also make the conceptual case for how cities should manage their
parking assets to maximize public benefits. Finally, we examine the most promising example of off-street
parking public management, using data from 14 garages included in San Francisco's SFpark program. We
find that SFpark increased the public use of garages by more than a third, reduced the average price for
drivers, and maintained a stable revenue stream for the city.
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